David M. Sparks, Ed. D.
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My name is David Sparks and I joined UTeach Arlington and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction as Visiting Assistant Professor of Science Education in 2013. In September 2015, I will begin a Tenure-Track appointment in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.
I am a 21-year veteran science and instructional technology teacher. After teaching middle school science from 1992-1999, I began teaching at the high school level. From 1999-2013, I taught Physical Science, Integrated Physics and Chemistry, Biology, Pre-AP Biology, Physics, Anatomy and Physiology, Environmental Science, and AP Environmental Science. During that time, I also taught Business Computer Information Systems (BCIS) and Dual Credit BCIS for four years. As a college instructor, I taught an Educational Technology course in the spring of 2009 at Texas A&M University-Texarkana and A+ Computer Maintenance at Texarkana College. I have worked with Ashford University as an Associate Instructor since July of 2012, teaching five different courses in the Educational Technology and Design department.
For the 2012-2013 school year, I taught in Hope, Arkansas at the Hope Academy of Science and Technology, which allows students to have laptop computers and is centered around Project-Based Learning. The experience of working in a PBL school was a great learning experience, and it has helped solidify my commitment to inquiry-based learning and constructivist teaching styles in Science Education.
My research is focused on three distinct areas: (1) collaborative learning structures that strengthen both learning and diversity in STEM education, (2) intersectionality of race, gender, and identity in STEM students, and (3) environmental sustainability as a context and catalyst for learning in STEM classrooms.
- 2013 Texas A&M University-Commerce Ed.D., Supervision, Curriculum, and Instruction-Higher Education
- 2005 Texas A&M University-Texarkana M.S., Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in Science Education and Instructional Technology
- 1990 Texas A&M University B.S., Scientific Nutrition
Link to Research Profile
Office: Science Hall, Room 322F E-Mail: david.sparks@uta.edu
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Recent Submissions
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Are you African or African-American? Exploring the Identity Experiences of Female STEM Students Born in Africa Now Living in America
(2018)Amongst the participants of a qualitative study of Black female students in Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) were two individuals who were born on the African continent. These students moved to the ... -
“Do we teach subjects or students?” Analyzing science and mathematics teacher conversations about issues of equity in the classroom
(WILEY, 2019-05)Teachers involved in a Master's level course in diversity participated in virtual, synchronous, anonymized discussions around issues of ethnic and racial diversity, gender, and stereotypes that could impact their students’ ... -
The Process of Becoming: Identity Development of African American Female Science and Mathematics Preservice Teachers
(Taylor & Francis OnlineDepartment of Curriculum and Instruction , The University of Texas at Arlington, 2018-03-01)**Please note that the full text is embargoed** ABSTRACT: A group of 3 African American female preservice science and science teaching students majoring in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) ... -
Navigating STEM-Worlds: Applying a Lens of Intersectionality to the Career Identity Development of Underrepresented Female Students of Color
(EmeraldDepartment of Education Curriculum and Instruction, The University of Texas at Arlington, 2017)**Please note that the full text is embargoed** ABSTRACT: Knowing that female students of color are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is not enough. This paper will discuss the ... -
An Analysis Of Stereotype Threat In African American Engineering Students At Predominantly White, Ethnically Diverse, And Historically Black Colleges And Universities
(ProQuest, 2013)**Please note that the full text is embargoed** ABSTRACT: The purpose of this research was to distinguish the similarities and differences in coping strategies of African American engineering students by analyzing their ... -
An Exploration of the Connections Between Institution Type and Perceived Levels of Stereotype Threat in African American Engineering Students
(Journal of African American Males in Education (JAAME)Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The University of Texas at Arlington, 2015)To distinguish the similarities and differences in coping strategies of African American engineering students, a quantitative study was conducted which examined their perceptions of stereotype threat at three academic ...